I am Hanz, und I am franz....

Now that the wedding madness is over and real life begins, Rusty and I are looking forward to getting back into being active and healthy. In effort to do this, we are both taking on an athletical feat (yes, athletical) of our choice. Rusty is beginning the P90X workout program (and has determined to FINISH it this time!) and I have somehow agreed/convinced my older sister to run a half marathon with me.

I have enjoyed running as a hobby for the past two years, but have never entered a real event. The race is in Phoenix on January 17th. I started my pre-training yesterday with not such a glorious bang, and my sister has been going for about three weeks. I am looking forward to the upcoming months of training and sisterly bonding over aching bodies and cake binges:). I think we will be a success.

Rusty's "before pictures" for P90x. The program is really challenging, so any encouragement from family and friends will help him keep going. He's excited to finally have enough time and steadiness to finish the full 90 days.

I'll update more in upcoming months as both Rusty and I adventure into purposefully torturing our bodies.

Flagstaff Weekend!

I returned yesterday from a fantastic weekend in Flagstaff! My friend, Rachel, is getting married next month, so I traveled up north to attend her bridal shower. The picture shows her playing a party game in which she had to eat enormous amounts of bubble gum every time she answered a question about her future husband incorrectly. It was entertaining.

I also got to hang with Mary Olson and ride her sweet motorbike.

Britni and I busted out the slip-n-slide in her front yard.

And I hiked Fatman's loop with Jenny.

Great weekend. Today, I am back in Tucson and happy to be home with my husband.

Real Life in Tucson Begins

After about a month in Tucson, it is starting to feel like we actually LIVE here! Rusty started working at Noonan Physical Therapy in downtown Tucson last week and has done very well there so far. He started working a FULL schedule this week, so now it's the real deal. He has only become more wonderful since starting work. In his off times, he is learning to play guitar (I'm teaching him...that's a fun marriage experience:)!) and starting the P90X workout plan to keep himself active. We're hoping to find a softball team somewhere for either him or both of us to play on! We're also hoping to get our road bikes out soon and start riding! I don't want to speak too soon, but it SEEMS like the weather here is getting tamer and tamer each day. Maybe the worst of summer is over, and it wasn't even that bad.

I passed my national board exam yesterday, so I also start work very soon! Rusty surprised me with these beautiful flowers waiting for me when I got home from my test. What a husband! I will start practicing with Athlon physical therapy in a suburb of Tucson (Oro Valley) on Sept. 1st. I am a bit nervous to get into the swing of things there, having been absent from the clinic for four months. The schedules run VERY full there, so it will be an organizational obstacle to start running smoothly. I'm up for it. While I wait to begin working, I will be finalizing my name change, filing MOUNDS of paperwork with my new clinic, and working out the details of starting at Athlon! Of course that means some fun things, too, like shopping for new work clothes!

Rusty and I were blessed enormously this weekend to have our good friends, Jenny and Ben Scott, come for a visit! We have had visitors every week since we moved here, and we hope that trend does NOT stop! We LOVE hosting and want to be a house that people love to come visit. Please come see us anytime!

Finally, God is so good. We have been praying for new community and a mission here as we go to a new church and have new jobs, and God is beginning to provide that in very real ways. Currently, I feel that he is strongly calling me to just let this be HIS deal and to let him create our community and purpose here in his time and how he wants. So basically, we are being calm in that place of trust and just letting him move. It's a different place than I usually am, which is scrambling to try and make things happen for myself. I like it. Here's the Word: "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." Ps 127:1